SKT Expands AI Robot Ecosystem at MWC... Developing Open Platform

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Su-yeon] SK Telecom is taking the lead in developing an open platform to expand the artificial intelligence (AI) robot ecosystem.

On the 21st, SKT announced that it has decided to collaborate with Qualcomm and AI-based robotics platform specialist Integrate to develop an "Open Robotics Data Platform."

A commercial robot equipped with the open robotics platform 'AirPass,' which Intgrit will unveil at the MWC23 SKT booth.
[Photo by SKT]

In May last year, SKT signed an MOU with Integrate to develop an open robotics platform. With Qualcomm's participation this time, a triangular alliance has been formed to expand the robot ecosystem.

Currently, various types of intelligent robots are emerging in the domestic robot market, but each robot generally can only learn information and process data limited to the space in which it operates. Accordingly, the need for building a standardized platform that strengthens connectivity between robots to mutually share and process data is increasing.

Through this development collaboration, SKT will combine its AI technology in the jointly built and developed "Open Robotics Platform" and lead security, authentication, and dataset standardization for robots and devices that want to connect to the platform. In particular, SKT will combine its expertise in robot control, vision AI, cloud, location information, and security technologies with Qualcomm and Integrate’s platforms to build an advanced open robot platform. Qualcomm will provide the Qualcomm Robotics RB5 platform powered by the Qualcomm QRB5165 processor for the Internet of Things (IoT) and the Qualcomm AI engine. Integrate plans to develop and distribute robot development kits embedded with SKT and Qualcomm’s solutions and conduct tests for robot interoperability verification and certification.

SKT and Integrate will provide hardware such as Qualcomm’s QRB5165 processor-based 5G and high-resolution cameras, as well as core software including autonomous driving, AI vision, and voice conversation solutions as an embedded framework, overcoming the scalability limitations of existing robot operating systems. The open robotics platform "AirPass" will be applied to commercial robots and unveiled at the MWC23 SKT booth.

Dev Singh, Vice President of Business Development at Qualcomm Technologies, said, “Future intelligent robots and mobility are evolving into new smart platforms where communication and platforms are equipped, content and services are distributed, and data is shared. The collaboration between Qualcomm Technologies, SKT, and Integrate in the robotics field is expected to provide a groundbreaking alternative that allows the high-quality content and services, familiar interfaces, and user experiences experienced through the smartphone industry and internet platforms accumulated with onboard edge computing and 5G connectivity to be used as is in robots and mobility.”

Choi Nak-hoon, Head of SKT Industrial AIX CO, said, “In the development of robotics platforms, which will become a core competitiveness in the robot industry in the future, this business agreement is expected to be a turning point that creates new added value and revitalizes the entire robot ecosystem. We will continue to fulfill the role of a mobility operator leading the entire robot ecosystem through ongoing cooperation with Qualcomm and Integrate.”